Did you know that NARI has online Certification Programs to improve your business? As a NARI member you can take advantage of their 9 certification programs that cover general remodeling to specialties, green and universal design certifications. We recently caught up with North Bay NARI member Zac Rempe of Rempe Construction about their NARI Certifications and why they continue to have their Project Managers (PMs) participate. Here’s what we learned. They’ve got 6 people in the company, including Zac, who’ve gone through the 8-week training for CRPM (Certified Remodeling Project Manager). And one more who’s new and will be trainingContinue

Want to get more value from your North Bay NARI membership? Read on for tips on leveraging Houzz to do just that (and drive more traffic to your Houzz profile!) We all know that Houzz is one of the most influential social platforms for homeowners about to take on a remodel project. We also know that Houzz has a large sales force offering several paid packages for professionals to show up more prominently. But did you know that simply working on your profile also has benefits that pay off in search results? You don’t have to pay to boost yourContinue

You’ve probably noticed 360 photographs when navigating online. From Google to Facebook, they’re popping up frequently. You can easily navigate a 360 photo sphere by swiping your finger on your phone or with your mouse on a computer screen. And if you’re hardcore, you can don a virtual reality headset and really feel a part of a photo. As an avid photographer with an early adopter teenage son, I was anticipating the launch of the Samsung Gear 360 last Spring. So, when I could get my hands on a Gear 360 in late July before the US launch, I jumpedContinue

I had a check-in call with a Houzz representative for one of my clients this week and the conversation made me want to share this more widely, since it’s just common sense for managing your Houzz profile. GET MORE REVIEWS – Remember that to achieve the Best of Houzz Service badge, you have to garner 4 or more reviews before the end of the year. You may want to start with writing a review for one of the other professionals you worked with on a recent project. Remember to thank people directly on Houzz for their review on your firm.Continue

Wondering how you’re going to get your photos in shape to use them on your website, in social media, Houzz, blogs and elsewhere? Consider taking the following steps so that you can showcase your best work and attract your ideal clients. Audit what you’ve got Organize current photos – Locate them, create a folder and naming structure and drop existing photos into it. Commit to using it for new projects. This way you’ll be able to find what you need when you need it. Take the time to dig up all your old photos. You may think it isn’t worthContinue

As a building contractor or remodeler, now is when you need to start ramping up your online marketing efforts, even if you have more clients than ever before. I realize that you’re probably so busy that you “don’t have time”. I get it. Yet, in this boom economy you can’t afford to ignore investing in marketing for your firm, and here’s why. When the market slows again, you need to have a strong online presence in order to survive. And what better time to build an online presence than when you have access to money to invest and you haveContinue

Content Marketing Can Make or Break Your Remodeling Company’s Online Presence Imagine this scenario: you’ve got a referral for your remodeling business from one of your favorite clients. After finishing a large and profitable remodel from the client in question, she told her friend Claire about the great job that you did. You’d really like to attract more business like this because of how smoothly things went, and you were told by your client that her friend would be a perfect fit with your way of working. Now imagine that Claire talked to some other friends who gave her twoContinue

For companies in the building trades, Houzz and social media have been a boon for showcasing work and being found. Eye-catching images are at the heart of this, and so those with top notch photos are seeing results. When someone refers a friend or colleague, your company is searched and vetted. It’s good news, right? Well, as long as you have decent photos of your best projects that attract the right client, I suppose. But most aren’t so lucky. Most of the clients I work with have been in business long enough to have a solid portfolio of work, butContinue

A few weeks ago, as I was setting goals for 2015 I took an online course by Michael Hyatt. I knew that my intentions were good and that I would be able to choose solid goals. And I also knew that if I really wanted to achieve them, I could need some help. Now I want to share that with you. Here’s what you can do: Write down your goals – Just by writing down goals people are already better off statistically than those who don’t. What I mean by that is that the simple act of putting them downContinue

Case Study – Michael Rex Architects When I first started working on marketing with Michael Rex and the team and Michael Rex Architects, I asked a question I ask all my clients, “What do you do for a living?” I’m looking for an answer beyond the expected, “I’m an architect” or “I design great buildings”. Michael said, “We design beauty and create joy.” And they do. But it’s not what a prospect is looking for as they select an architect. And so we began working on strategy. We dove into the Duct Tape Marketing strategy sessions and came up withContinue